I fight to be free, and to have my own Fate
by Jezebel Night
Summary: This is a story about girl who is left by her parents to The Steward of Gondor, who is wants to punish her for her parents mistakes. As a child she runs away with Dillon, her best friend, and both escape Gondor. And now, at the age of 16, she and her band of "Shadows" are ready to take on the world. When the ring awakens, so is a secret in her blood. BTW, I suck at summaries. ;-)
1. Info

_Main Character: Cara, daughter of Branna and Mordred  
_

_Age: 16  
_

_Backround: Ran away from her home in Minus Tirith, the night her parents betrayed the Steward of Gondor. They released certain information to a group of the Steward's enemies, and helped them escape when he found out. Her parents ran with them, leaving Cara behind to take The Steward's punshiment. She ran from her home and to her friend Dillon, who lived so close they were almost neighbors. He helped her escape, coming with her to ensure her safety. She was only 7 when this tragedy happened, and soon after she found refuge in the woods. Within a fort night Dillon recieved word that he was banished for his involvement in helping Cara escape. Soon after they ran into a band of elves outside of the city of Rivendale. They were trained by the elves in fighting and language, and was soon introduced to Lord Elron. He saw something in her that Cara never realized was there before, and that was a burning secret waiting to be revealed to her. They stayed for a year before running back into the world, leaving behind their Elvish allies. _

_The Group: Legends of shadows walking through forests were started by Cara and her future allies. A small, yet effective, group of "rangers" were started by Dillon and herself consisting of 5 others. Siobhan and Claire were sisters, Siobhan 18 and Claire 24, and then there was Davin, Finn, and Liam. The three of them were good strong men that like to have a good time. Davin is 20, the youngest out of the three,and is by far the wisest. Finn, 22, isn't very bright but is innocent and true to his heart. Liam, 24, is the darkest out of the whole group. He has troublekeeping his hands to himself, but is good in a fight nonetheless._

_Looks: Siobhan and Claire share the same bonde hair and pale skin, both tall and willowy. Despite their age difference, they are almost twins. They have different eye colors, Siobhan has brown eyes while Claire has gray eyes with purple flecks. Davin has dark brown hair, light scars adorning his neck and cheek. He has startling green eyes. Finn has brown hair as well, with light green eyes, and a birthmark on his forehead in the shape of a dragon. Liam has black hair and gray eyes, he has toned muscles everywhere and is astonishingly well fit for the period. He's not the fastest runner, but has stamina to pick up for it. Dillon has black hair as well, though in the sun bits of red shine through. He has deep blue eyes, with hints of green. Cara has deep auburn hair, and shocking blue eyes. Much like Frodo's, aside from being a little darker. _

_Fighting Skills: Siobhan, smart and cunning. Very decisive in a battle and prefers to use small daggers and her bow, same with Claire. The only difference is Claire is a bit more reckless in battle. Davin and Finn work as a team, both prefer to use swords and axes then bows and daggers. Liam is a man meant to be a dwarf, at least in fighting style that is. He uses a blunt ax and rarely uses a bow, when he loses his ax he'll either pull out another one or use is sword when he's tired of fighting. He's absolutely lethal with a sword. Dillon is better at archery than he is at close combat, he uses his bow nonstop, stabbing people with arrows. He only uses swords as a last resort. Cara is very fluid, knows when to duck, knows when to run, and just about everything in battle. She can predict just about every move in battle, and prefers usuing swords and her own body. _

Cara will soon have a difficult choice placed in front of her. When the ring awakens to power, she'll feel the change in the winds, the change in her group. When the Fellowship is made, she'll have to choose her path. Why? Because Cara is no ordinary farmer's daughter from Minus Tirith, she is the daughter of a warrior and not only that. She is an heir to the throne of a place that used to be a Kingdom, now belonging to Gondor, which means simply this. If the Future King of Gondor, Aragorn, refuses the throne by the time she becomes of age, she will be named Queen. If he does become King, she will be his successor. But much like Aragorn, she refuses to accept this path, and not because she is banished from Gondor. She has a warriors heart, and could never stand being trapped inside a castle, responsible for the care and well being of people when she can barely take care of herself.

**This is a story I can't wait to write, please message and rate if you want this to continue! Sorry for the shortness!**


	2. Visions of Freedom, burned by Darkness

_"Lights are dying in the East, darkness growing steady. The life of Middle Earth has been changed_, _and not for the better. Evil is stirring in Mordor, The Ring has awakened. We need to find the One Ring. If we fail, the world will be consumed in the darkness." Lord Elrond spoke slowly, carefully to me. His words stung me deep in my heart. I was desperate to relieve this pain, desperate to be rid of this darkness. "What do you need me to do?" "Be ready, and never forget. There will be a time when this story needs to be told again, and you must be the one to tell it." "But Elrond, how am I supposed to know who to tell?" "Open your mind. Let your insight free to see the right from wrong, to see the truth from the lies."_

_He stepped up close to me, and placed his left hand on my shoulder. I followed suit, never straying my eyes from his. "You know the ways of the world, young Cara. You know how cruel and beautiful these lands can be. Never stray from your path, and never fear. You will always have an ally, as long as your heart remains true." Tears began to fill my eyes, staring into his eyes, which were filled with so much trust and honesty it nearly broke my heart. He took my face in his hands as I tried to will those tears away. He pulled my face close, and kissed my forehead gently, barely touching my skin. "Let the Evening Star guide you on your path, and bless you with the grace that has been given to me." He spoke carefully, so gently, my first tear fell on my face with his care. _

"_Young Child, breathe your first breath of freedom. Once you walk out into these lands, you will finally be free." He lifted my face to look at him again, and though it ripped me apart to do so, I nodded. "Yes my Lord" I slightly bowed to him before turning from him, feeling the cold stab of betrayal in my heart. "Cara" he gently spoke once more, having me turn around once more to look at him again. "You will not be alone in your journey, my child. Young Dillon will be joining you." "I know my Lord, he's known for days of this …..quest." I paused, searching for the right word to describe it. He idly smiled before stopping me again, "We will see each other again, know that you will always have a home in Rivendale." I sighed, standing myself up from the slouch I was in. "No, my Lord, I don't. Home is a word that has long forsaken me." I spoke my words with conviction, and felt the edge in my eyes started to grow._

_He stayed quiet, bracing himself for more words to come._

_I continued, "I will see that this quest be finished, that when this story of The One Ring needs to be told again, then I will tell it. But my Lord Elrond, when you think about speaking of Home to me again, you better consult with your endless wisdom before you do because I will not stand hearing of it again." I glared at him again, and then bowed one last time. "If we see each other again, it will only be to tell you whether we have succeeded….or failed. This place will never be my home, nor will any other." _

"_Cara!" he shouted from behind me. I kicked my feet, beginning to run. "Cara!" he shouted again as I picked up pace. Tears were falling. My heart aching. My throat closed up as the sobs came in at full force. "Cara!" I kept hearing the shouting, again and again and again and-_

"Cara! Cara!" I was being shaken. I gasped as I woke up, feeling around for my sword as I did. "What is it!?" "C'mon! We've got to get moving, if not we'll be late for the party!" yawned a tired Siobhan, messing with my hair as she pulled me up. "What?" I asked, confused from my impaired memory. She gave me a look, rolling her eyes before swatting my shoulder. "Bilbo's party? The one we're supposed to meet the old wizard at?" "Oh right, Baggins from The Shire. How did I forget?" "You've hit your head one to many times my friend, you need to be more careful if want to keep it." Patting my shoulder she walked off, heading towards the dying fire in the middle of our camp. I got up from my spot on the tree, looking at the sight.

I barely remember coming here the night before, the memory was still very strong in my mind. It must've blocked out my agenda for the day as well. I shrugged, rubbing my face as I head over to the group. All the men were still gone, leaving only us women behind to hold the campsite. It annoyed me, and I knew deep down that this was all Liam's doing. "Where are the rest?" "Off on another adventure I suppose?" replied Claire, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "are we going to tie up their stuff and leave it all here again?" "Of course, what kind of friends would we be if we didn't?" I laughed, winking before starting off. "What was that one song we learned from our last visit to The Shire?" Siobhan asked with her face full of wonder as she got up. "The Green Dragon?" Claire ventured a guess, not very sure at all. "That's it! Do you rememberit?" "Not really, how about you Cara?" I smiled at the challenge, and thought for only a second, and then I sang.

"_Oh, you can search far and wide_

_You can drink the whole town dry,_

_But you'll never find a beer__so brown_

_But you'll never find a beer so brown,_

_As the one we drink in our home town_

_You can keep your fancy ales,_

_You can drink them by the flagon,_

_But the only brew for the brave and true_

_Comes from the Green Dragon!"_

We laughed and sang the song together for a long while. As soon as it'd end we'd start it up again, loving the sound of it so much. We gathered up our stuff, along with the boys, and started off. We strung up all of the boys belongings all over the camp. Siobhan and Claire kept Davin's, Finn's, and Dillon's relatively close to camp. I took Liam's most precious belongings (his ax, sword, bow, daggers, etc.) and took them with me, randomly throwing them along the road as we moved on to Hobbiton. We were soon with our own baring's, and off on the rest of our journey.

It's been nearly a year since our last visit. And just like years before, I couldn't wait to get there. I was excited to Frodo and Merry again, Pippin as well, I'm even glad to have the chance to see Samwise again. Our spirits were uplifted, smiles on our faces, and nothing but hope and fun was on our minds. If any of our friends or allies had seen us at this moment, they would all know that we were on our way to The Shire, the one place in all of Middle Earth that we three (usually 7) were ever completely happy. Yet as I was walking through the bright green trees, amidst the bright topics from Siobhan and Claire, I couldn't help but feel a certain darkness crawl up my spine. Everything was not as it seemed here, nor did the light from the sun show the same brightness it usually held.

"It's growing" I whispered, looking up into the blue sky. The clouds were still puffy and white, yet lost a bit of its valor from our last visit. Part of me believed I was making things up, feeding my suspicions and doubts as a way to keep me on point. But I knew better. These suspicions have kept me alive, along with my group of "Shadows". I smiled as I thought of our name. How we could possibly be compared to shadows, I'll never know. "Come back!" Claire called to me, though she was only a foot or so away. "What do you mean?" "You're off in your own world again. Every time you leave, it means you suspect something." I shrugged, smiling before looking away. "Come along, Hobbiton is still hours away. If we want to make it in time, we have to hurry!" I called behind me as I ran off. "Wait up! You're too fast!" Siobhan laughed as she ran to keep up with me. I laughed, picking up pace. "Cara!" Claire shouted, laughing all the while as the clang of their weapons sounded away.

We went on like that, slowing down every once in a while to figure out where we were, and then picked up pace again. We were only a mile or two away from Hobbiton when conversation was finally struck up again. "Do you think they found their stuff yet?" asked Siobhan, curious for our answers. I laughed as Claire gave her answer. "I know Dillon and Devin; they're too smart to not find their stuff. Maybe Finn, since him and Devin are close. I don't know about Liam." They both looked to me, and I shook my head. "He'll be lucky to find most of it, but he won't find all of it." "What makes you say that?" inquired Siobhan, crossing her arms of her chest as we walked on. I grinned. Instead of answering, I pulled out his miniature ax, which put them into shock.

"I can't believe you kept that!" "You are absolutely mental to keep that; he will use that to cut your throat in your sleep!" "He can try, but who says I'm going to give it back to him?" They both gasped in unison, which had me laughing more. "This will strike a war between the two of you. There will be no boundaries he won't cross." "And yet the only way he'll get his ax back is by doing something he's never done." "Really? I'm afraid to ask." Siobhan stated as she became leery. "I'm not, what does he have to do?" "We're here" I mentioned, gesturing to the houses in the hills.

They dropped the subject and gasped at the sight of The Shire in front of them. The green fields, the smell of bread, with the sound of the stream not far away, it was a beautiful sight. My grin faded as I looked upon its beauty, basking in its radiance. Darkness or no darkness, I found nothing that could tarnish this moment. The way the sun shined on the grass, on the little hobbit kids running around with their hair running free. The true vision of freedom was a picture of this moment. Though I have always found refuge in the trees or by the sea, smelling the sweet scent of freedom all around me, this is the one place I have felt at peace. The Shire has truly worked its wonders inside my heart. For the longest time part of it was cold and closed off, until my first visit here, and my first meeting with Frodo Baggins.

I looked to Siobhan and Claire once more, wrapping an around their shoulders before starting up the Green Dragon once more, though much slower than the original.

It's been hours since we've arrived, Siobhan and Claire had gone off with Bilbo and Gandalf, itching to try some of the weed they've heard so little about. I had went off with Frodo and told him of some of our adventures as he wrote down key points in his little book. We both went to party area, running into Sam. I had left Frodo with Sam, knowing they had a lot of work ahead of them. Bilbo came down with Gandalf and the girls later on, and then the party started. The music was festive, and the dancing was amusing to watch. I joined in every now and then, along with Claire as Siobhan watched with Gandalf on the side.

The air was filled with laughter and music, such a rich sound when put together. Yet everything had to come to an end all too soon. I was laughing as I watched Merry and Pippin wash the dishes, winking when Merry sent me a glare. Pippin waved and smiled, trying to start a conversation, when a chant started. "Speech! Speech Bilbo speech!" all the Hobbits began to shout and laugh and Bilbo obliged. He made the crowd roar with anticipation as he stated every name he invited for his birthday. He soon made confusing comments that even had me wondering. None of his words really affected me in his speech before the phenomenon happened. It was only one word that hit, and it was simply "Goodbye" and then he disappeared.

I gasped along with the rest of the hobbits, who were then frantic with fear as they tried searching for him. I stayed still in my seat, realizing something my fool brain never registered. He kept fiddling with something in his pocket, something he took out during his speech. And then it struck me like a dash of lighting.

The Ring

This had to be it; the story of the ring suddenly flooded my mind. The consequences of it, the temptation, the riders, the Nazgul. "Ring Wraiths" I whispered to myself, dropping my drink onto the ground. I got up to my feet, my eyes scanning the area until I found them. "Siobhan! Claire!" I yelled their names as loud as I could as I pushed aside the hobbits gently as I made my way through the crowd. "Siobhan!" "Cara!" I turned at the sound at the sound of my name, and was shocked as much as glad to Dillon.

"Dillon!" I shouted, running over to him and wrapping my arms around him. He hugged me to his chest, his voice relieved and frantic. "What's going on!? What's happened?" I looked up at him, feeling the unwanted tears come to life. "It's the Ring! Bilbo has The RING."

**AAAAANNNNNDDDD that's it for Chapter 1! I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed who has read it! Please review and let me know your opinions! I want to know! Thanks for reading, and hopefully I can update soon! :-)**


	3. The Ring is here

The next few minutes that came were confusing and sped by in a blur. The guys had found us, finally, and were leading us around in the search of Bilbo. The girls were with Merry and Pippin, looking for Gandalf instead of Bilbo. It was a good strategy, if anybody knew where Bilbo could be, it would certainly be that old wizard. But something troubled me. Gandalf must've known that Bilbo had The Ring, and yet every time we were here to visit he didn't say anything to us. What else could this possibly mean? Gandalf knows about The Ring of Power, and he wants it for himself. We have to find Bilbo, and fast!

I grabbed hold of Dillon's arm and drug him behind a tent. "What are you doing? We have to find Bilbo!" "What if Gandalf knew he had the Ring?" I enquired to him, my eyes wide with the shock seeping out of me. He sighed, his eyes suspicious. "What makes you think Gandalf knows?" "Because he's been here more times than I could count, he's always with Bilbo, and he's a wizard! One who's been reincarnated many times before? How in the world could he not know?" "Well, I've seen him smoking that weed with Bilbo before. You know what that stuff does; it slows your brain down the more you have it. He's always smoking a pipe when he visits Bilbo." Hm, he does have a point. "Besides, Gandalf wouldn't betray Elrond if that's what you're getting at. Gandalf is a good and wise wizard. If he knew the Ring was here, he must've kept it quiet to keep everyone safe. If anyone knew The Ring was here all of these hobbits would be dead, or worse."

I thought about it for a moment, the chaos ensuing around didn't affect my thoughts, only encouraged them. I nodded after a moment, looking up into Dillon's eyes. "You may be right, but we still need to find the ring." He nodded in return. He stood up to his face, extending a hand to me as he did so. I took it as he said "We can't keep looking around here, he'll be gone by now." "Let's head up to his house, he might've left it there." "Good thinking" he complimented as we started off running, soon going full sprint as we dodged the screaming Hobbits surrounding us. We passed Merry and Pippin along the way, with Siobhan and Claire still trying to pry answers on where Gandalf disappeared to. We never stopped. When Finn and Davin tried to join us, we shouted to them to find Liam and the girls and to keep looking around the party site, and then the woods. We were at his house in minutes, just as we saw him walking down the pathway.

I had a weird feeling as I watched him walk, humming his little tune as he did. Something wasn't right. "Dillon, follow Bilbo while I look around in his house." "You got it" he whispered before heading off, and I ran up the path to his house. The door was open, and the light was on, though shaded by the body of Gandalf. He was bent down, as if to pick something up, and I knew in an instant what it was. "Don't touch it!" I shouted, unsheathing my sword as I did. He shot up in surprise, banging his head on the chandelier. I winced at the sound, grimacing as he went back down on one knee. He groaned as I tensed up, my sword still mildly held out in front of me, but in no way could it be deemed threatening. "Cara?" He questioned, turning around to get a better look at me.

I tried to rid the grimace on my face, make the tenseness go away so I could stop him from taking the Ring. "Step away from the Ring" His face went into shock for the briefest moment, before grabbing hold of his staff and slightly aiming towards me. "Young Cara, I am by no means going to take this Ring for myself. But I will not avail you to take it either." "You fool, I would never touch it. I know what that monstrosity does; I will not risk the temptation it brings." "Then it appears we are on the same side." He set his staff back down, getting back to his feet and finding a seat in the next room. "Come inside Cara, I believe you know something about this Ring that I need hear." I sighed, great, here it is.

My quest has finally arrived.

_An hour later_

"I need to leave" he said suddenly, interrupting a long silence the room was filled with. "What?" "I need to go to Gondor; I need to see more of this story. You've told me everything you were supposed to, but there's something to it that Lord Elrond failed to mention to you." "What is it?" "How do you read the script on the Ring?" I thought about that, and I had a suspicion, but for some reason I didn't want to reveal it. He caught it, "But you think you might know?" I sighed, shrugged away the feeling and asked "What about Fire? It was forged in the fires of Mount Doom, but to reveal the writing, wouldn't it be through fire as common as this?" I pointed to the fireplace, where warmth was spreading throughout the house. Gandalf thought on it, and slightly nodded. "Maybe, but I want to be sure before I try it." I nodded, crossing my arms.

"What do you need me to do?" "I need you and your group exiles to go to the village of Bree. Once you are there I want you all to stay in the Prancing Pony." "You mean the Pub? We can't. Or at least Liam and Davin can't, they were banned from it from starting too many fights last month." "Then they will find someplace else, but the rest of you need to wait there." "Frodo will have to move the Ring? Won't he?" It was a question, but I said it to him as a statement. Sadness clouded his eyes, and I felt horrible for my thoughts earlier. How could I have thought that he would want to destroy the world? "Yes, if it appears that he is the one meant to have it." I nodded, turning away and headed towards the entryway. "How long do you think you or Frodo will be?" "I will send word on when to expect us, move at your usual pace, but do not get caught again." He showed me his knowing look and I couldn't help but smile. "Yes sir" and then with that I was gone.

I ran at full speed the moment I breathed in the air. Dillon was waiting for me outside and knew immediately what was happening. "Where are we going?" "We'll head for the village of Bree; The Prancing Pony is where we'll meet them." "Them? What do you mean them?" "If things turn out the way I think they will, Frodo will have to take the Ring to Rivendale." "Rivendale?" "Yes, it's the only place that can keep the Ring safe." "Someone else knows about the Ring, that's why we're leaving?" "Yes, but Gandalf wouldn't tell me who though." "Why?" "Because he thinks Liam will end up killing him." "Did he say that?" "No, but it's the only reason that makes sense. Don't you remember what happened last time?" I slowed my pace, along with Dillon, and soon we were still. We stood across from one another, looking into each other's eyes as the moonlight began to shine through the trees.

"You mean when Gandalf asked us to watch over a horde of dwarves?" "Yep" I responded, my eyes never straying away his. The light made his face glow a beautiful glow, his black hair made his skin seem ethereal, pale like snow. "We watched them all right, watched them all be killed because of Liam's temper." "You never told me why he was so angry, and he certainly never told me." I reminded, trying to keep my attention on the subject. It was hard though; his face looked so handsome and heart breaking. Just looking at him in this light brought back flashes of the dream, and it nearly broke my own heart in the process. He hesitated, a look coming over him as his eyes trailed along my face. "It's private; he wouldn't want me to tell you." He spoke his words carefully, slowly, like he wasn't sure what he was about to say next.

He stepped up close to me and cupped my chin gently in his hand, tilting my face up so he could have a better look at me. His thumb caressed my jaw oh so carefully, his other hand petting my hair. His eyes, his deep blue eyes, never looked away from me. He gently smiled, opening his mouth to speak. "I love your hair; it looks so beautiful in the moonlight." "So does yours" I countered, feeling a smile grow on my face. He chuckled lightly, his hand leaving my chin and started treading my neck. His fingers paused as they reached my mark, the mark I was born with. "How in the world you were born with wings on your neck I will never know." "I do" I whispered, leaning closer to him. His smile grew, his curious nature getting the better of him once again. "How so?" His question hung in the air for a moment, and instead of answering, all I did was smile.

There was a sharp crack a few feet away, and our heads turned towards the sound. Normally we would've pulled out our swords and investigate what it was, but tonight was full of surprises. He grabbed my arm and pulled me away, both of us laughing at our reactions. We ran deep into the trees, not caring if we lost ourselves in the woods. Our minds were on another plane, in other worlds, and yet they were still here. We grinned at each other, lost in each other's eyes. "How do you know?" He ventured again, his hand threading through my hair again. My smile grew large, a giddy feeling rising up inside of me. I decided I'd best tell him, so I leaned forward and began to whisper, and then everything was ruined.

"There you are!" shouted Finn and Claire, running in through the trees. They were both covered in moss and grass and more than a little mud. I pushed myself away from Dillon, and leaned against the tree behind me as carefully as I could. "We've been looking everywhere for the two of you! Siobhan found Bilbo, he doesn't have whatever it was that made him disappear." Claire reported, trying to wipe the mud off of her hands. "I heard from Davin that Liam caught up with Gandalf, and the two sort of got into a row." "Oh no" Dillon groaned, sitting down on the ground in utter defeat. "What happened?" I inquired, feeling suddenly exhausted. "Nothing really, I mean, nothing that Liam usually does." She paused, grimacing. It was as if she couldn't explain it. "I'm lost" I responded, breaking the long pause she decided to take. "All they did was argue about something, I couldn't hear it exactly though. Davin was there, he'll tell us once we catch up with them." I nodded, accepting the responses. I was about to get up when Dillon spoke up. "Are you sure that Liam didn't try to cut Gandalf's head off again?" "I'm sure; Liam wouldn't have lived this time if he did." "Why did we let him into the group again?" Claire asked, pondering the same question she's asked many times before.

I looked to Dillon, Finn and Claire followed. "Wasn't my choice" I spoke, my subtle implication aimed towards Dillon. He sighed, "We needed another fighter; if we had left him behind we would have all been killed by the orcs." "We could've taken them" I countered, defiance forcing an edge to my voice. Dillon groaned, about to bring up our old argument, when Liam's voice sifted through the air. "She's right, you know" he spoke in a solemn tone, before revealing himself a few feet away from me. "The girls could've taken that band of orcs without a second thought. But with you, Dillon, this group surely would've perished." They shared a look of pure fury for a moment, and it was Davin that broke the silence we were enveloped in. "We ran into Gandalf not too long ago, he told us we had to head towards the village of Bree, but he didn't tell us why." "Do you know the story of The Ring?" I asked with the edge still in my voice. He slightly nodded, accidently glancing towards Dillon. I only shrugged, not bothering to get angry, there was no time. "That's why"

I stepped away from the tree and stood tall, facing all members of the group. "Okay, this is what we're going to do" All eyes were on me, never straying, never ceasing. I sighed, took a breath, and spoke. "We will all head for the village of Bree. We can go our usual pace, so there's no need to be in a hurry." "If we run into some trouble, we're aloud to fight them off?" "Of course" I assured Davin, a smile growing on my face, "and we'll even ransack a few travelers on the way if we have time." We had a good laugh about that, until I cut them off and continued. "Once we're there we'll have to split up. Dillon and Davin" I gestured to them, they each pulled themselves up, ready for orders. "You two will take the main entrance, along with taking watches inside of the town. Finn and Claire" I gestured to them, "You two will take the Brandywine, along with the hidden entrance. Siobhan will trade shifts with you if either of you need it." "Why me?" she asked curiously. "Because you never sleep" I smiled, winking to her as she shrugged and winked back. "Where does that leave you and me?" Liam asked, a certain tone in his voice. "You and I will take the woods, and when night falls I'll go into town and Finn will take my place." "So that means, when we trade shifts I mean, you and Claire will be where?" "We'll be in the Prancing Pony, or Siobhan and Claire will. I don't particularly care for drunken, older men who try to throw me into their beds when they can barely stand."

Laughs filled the area again, somehow lighting the trees more with happiness. Our laughter mixed beautifully with the moonlight, shining on our faces so much more as we did. I sighed, looking away from our group, thinking of what was to come. Or at least, I tried. "Do we have to split up?" Claire asked, and I knew why. "I don't think so, but we'll see when we get there." "Do we have to leave tonight?" Siobhan asked as her exhaustion began to show. I smirked, "No, we'll wait until morning." "Can we stay at Merry's? He said it wouldn't be any trouble." "I'm sure he was only talking about us, but I'll take it for the night. I haven't been able to talk to him yet anyways." She laughed, along with Claire. I looked towards the guys, and felt a bit uneasy, "What about you lot?" "We'll camp here; keep an eye on Frodo while you're gone." Liam spoke up; leaving Dillon looking like someone just took his favorite toy.

I nodded to them, and waved goodbye as the girls and I headed off.

As the girls left the men behind with their bearings, there was a palpable tension that loosely began to float in the air. Finn felt the tension, but decided it was better to leave it alone and get some sleep. Davin broke off some sticks from the trees, placing them in a pile as he, too, ignored the rising tension. Dillon moved his stuff towards the tree that Cara had leaned upon only moments ago. He made himself a pillow and a makeshift bed in a matter of seconds, and then rested his head against the bark. He could smell the scent she left behind, her sweet scent from her hair that made it impossible not to breathe in. Taking in her scent made him think of how close she had been, her face touching his when she leaned in for a whisper. Her creamy white skin was so soft and smooth; the way she smiles almost killed him in the moonlight. He smiled at the memory of her, and tried his best not to laugh when he remembered dragging her off.

"Dillon" Liam's voice came from above him, startling him out of his fantasy. He got to his feet and stared him down, not backing down. "Yes, Liam?" Liam didn't answer for a moment, just watched Dillon as he became more and more restless. Finn and Davin watched from their pile of wood, trying to light the fire while subtly eavesdropping on the pair. Liam still didn't say a word, only stared. "What do you want Liam?" "I want Cara for myself, with you lying dead in a thicket of bushes. Along with my ax back, and The Ring to be destroyed by my hand, and also sitting on the Throne of Gondor with Cara by my side as my queen. That is what I want, but what I need is for you to get off your arse and find something we can light the fire with." He had said so sarcastically, so _Liam, _that Dillon didn't catch any of that until he had already turned around.

He let out a puff of air before turning back around and charging Liam at full speed. "Dillon, no!" Davin shouted as he and Finn abandoned their pile of wood, and caught Dillon before he connected with Liam. "He's baiting you! Don't fall for it!" "Why not, he's already fallen for my Cara" Liam spoke, a smirk on his face and sarcasm in tone. "She'll never be yours! You're a selfish bastard who would rather fight an orc than kiss a girl any day!" "Not true, only on Thursdays" he joked, his smirk became more pronounced. Davin stepped in front of Dillon, grasping his shoulder and trying to console him. It might've worked, eventually, if Liam had stayed shut up and left the subject alone. But knowing Liam, he always had to pick a fight. "She's mine, Dillon. And there is nothing you can do about it" he said boldly, all sarcasm gone, no smirk. All that was left on Liam's face was defiance, and a cold stone-like expression. His words nearly drove Dillon mad, Finn and Davin dragged him off as he tried charging Liam again.

They took him out of sight of Liam, leaving Liam behind to make the fire. He brought out one of his makeshift matches, and lit the wood up, adding grass and leaves to keep it burning. He took a sweep of the eyes, hearing Dillon's enraged voice in the distance intermingling with Finn's frantic one. He smirked again, thinking of the pain he was causing Dillon. He knew, eventually, that they were going to leave him behind. Kick him out of the group of shadows they had become, but at the moment he didn't seem to care. He went over to his bag, opening it up and searching through it. He found what he was looking for, and it made his heart soften at the sight of it. A little doll made from string, a doll given to him to resemble his long lost brother.

Cara had made the doll for him, and ever since his heart has belonged to her.

**AAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDD D I know it's a horrible place for an ending but I can't help it! My mind doesn't want to continue it! Sorry if it's a little long, please review, I would love to get your opinions on the story. **


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